your lion, living; and we ought to look to it. | Snout. Therefore, another prologue must tell, he is not a lion. As true as truest horse, that yet would never I'll meet thee, Pyramus, at Ninny's tomb. [tire, Quin. Ninus' tomb, man: Why you must not Bot. Nay, you must name his name, and speak that yet; that you answer to Pyramus: half his face must be seen through the lion's you speak all your part at once, cues and neck; and he himself must speak through, say-all.-Pyramus enter; your cue is past; it is, ing thus, or to the same defect,-Ladies, or never tire. fair ladies, I would wish you, or, I would request you, or, I would entreat you, not to fear, not to tremble: my life for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life: No, I am no such thing; I am a man as other men are:-and there, indeed, let him name his name; and tell them plainly, he is Snug the joiner. Quin. Well, it shall be so. But there is two bard things; that is, to bring the moon-light into a chamber: for you know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moon-light. Snug. Doth the moon shine, that night we play our play? Bot. A calendar, a calendar! look in the almanack; find out moon-shine, find out moonshine. Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night. Bot. Why, then you may leave a casement of the great chamber window, where we play, open; and the moon may shine in at the case ment. Quin. Ay; or else one must come in with a bush of thorns and a lanthorn, and say, he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moon-shine. Then, there is another thing: we must have a wall in the great chamber; for Pyramus and Thisby, says the story, did talk through the chinks of a wall. Snug. You never can bring in a wall.-What say you, Bottom? Bot. Some man or other must present wall: and let him have some plaster, or some lome, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; or let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper. Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin: when you have spoken your speech, enter into that brake* and so every one according to his cue. Re-enter PUCK, and BOTTOM with an ass' head. This. O,-As true as truest horse, that get would never tire. This. Most radiant Pyramus, most lily-white of hue, Of colour like the red rose on triumphant brier, Most brisky jurenal,† and eke most lovely Jew, Pyr. If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine:-Quin. O monstrous! O strange! we are Pray, masters! fly, masters! help! [haunted. [Exeunt Clowns. round, Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a [through briar; Through bog, through bush, through brake, Sometime a horse I'll be, sometimes a hound, A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every Tita. What angel wakes me from my flowery [Waking. bed? Bot. The finch, the sparrow, and the lark, for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: little reason for that: And yet, to say the truth, Tita. Thou are as wise as thou art beautiful. Bot. Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn. [no. Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or | Near to her close and consecrated bower,.. And I will purge thy mortal grossness so, Enter four FAIRIES. 1 Fai. Ready. 2 Fui. And I. 3 Fai. And I. 4 Fai. Where shall we go? While she was in her dull and sleeping hour, spy, 1 As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye, Tita. Be kind and courteous to this gentle-So, at his sight, away his fellows fly: man; Hop in his walks, and gambol in his eyes; 2 Fui. Hail! 3 Fai. Hail! 4 Fui. Hail! Mus. Mustard-seed. Bot. Good master Mustard-seed, I know your patience well that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you more acquaintance, good master Mustard-seed. Tita. Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower. [eye; The moon, methinks, looks with a watery And when she weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforced chastity. Tie up my love's tongue, bring him silently. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Another part of the Wood. Enter OBERON. Obe. I wonder, if Titania be awak'd; Then, what it was that next came in her eye, Which she must dote on in extremity. And, at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls; Made senseless things begin to do them wrong: I led them on in this distracted fear, Obe. This falls out better than I could devise. Puck. I took him sleeping,-that is finish'd For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse. The sun was not so true unto the day, moon May through the center creep, and so displease Ah, good Demetrius, will thou give him me? Her. Out, dog! out, cur! thou driv'st me past the bounds Of maiden's patience. Hast thou slain him [then? Henceforth be never number'd among men! Simple fellows, +Stupid company. + Head Actor. Infected. O! once tell true, tell true, even for my sake; Could not a worm, an adder, do so much? Her. I pray thee, tell me then that he is well. Dem. And if I could, what should I get therefore? Her. A privilege, never to see me more.-And from thy hated presence part I so: See me no more, whether he be dead or no. [Erit. Dem. There is no following her in this fierce vein: Here, therefore, for a while I will remain. A million fail, confounding oath on oath. By some illusion see thou bring her here; Hel. You do advance your cunning more and more. When truth kills truth, O devilish holy fray! These vows are Hermia's; Will you give her [weigh: o'er? Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing Your vows, to her and me, put in two scales, Will even weigh; and both as light as tales. Lys. I had no judgement, when to her I swore. Hel. Nor none, in my mind, now you give her o'er. Lys. Demetrius loves her, and he loves not you. Dem. [Awaking.] O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine Helen To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne? A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport. Lys. You are unkind, Demetrius; be not so; For you love Hermia; this, you know, I know: And here, with all good will, with all my heart, In Hermia's love I yield you up my part; And yours of Helena to me bequeath, Whom I do love, and will do to my death. Hel. Never did mockers waste more idle breath. Dem. Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will If e'er I lov'd her, all that love is gone. [none: My heart with her but, as guest-wise, sojourn'd; And now to Helen is it home return'd, Lys. Helen, it is not so. Dem. Disparage not the faith thou dost not Lest, to thy peril, thou aby it dear.t- [know, Look where thy love comes; yonder is thy dear. Enter HERMIA. ·Her. Dark night, that from the eye his function takes, The ear more quick of apprehension makes; Lys. Why should he stay, whom love doth press to go? Her. What love could press Lysander from my side? Lys. Lysander's love, that would not let him bide, Fair Helena; who more engilds the night Than all you fiery oes* and eyes of light. thee know, The hate I bare thee made me leave thee so? Her. You speak not as you think; it cannot be. Two lovely berries moulded on one stem: Her. I am amazed at your passionate words: I scorn you not; it seems that you scorn me. Hel. Have you not set Lysander as in scorn, To follow me, and praise my eyes and face? And made your other love, Demetrius, (Who even but now did spurn me with his foot,} To call me goddess, nymph, divine, and rare, Hel. Ay, do, persévere, counterfeit sad looks, Her. Sweet, do not scorn her so. Dem. If she cannot entreat, I can compel. Lys. Thou canst compel no more than she entreat; Thy threats have no more strength, than her weak prayers.Helen, I love thee; by my life, I do ; I swear by that which I will lose for thee, To prove him false, that says I love thee not. Dem. I say, I love thee more than he can do. Lys. If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too. Dem. Quick, come, • Circles. + Ingenious. Needles. Wry faces. Sweet love? Lys. Thy love? out, tawny Tartar, out! Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence! Her. Do you not jest? Hel. Yes, 'sooth; and so do you. Lys. Demetrius, I will keep my word with thee. Dem. I would, I had your bond; for, I perceive, [word. A weak bond holds you; I'll not trust your Lys. What should I hurt her, strike her, kill her dead? Although I hate her, I'll not harm her so. Her. What, can you do me greater harm than hate? [love? Hate me! wherefore? O me! what news, my Am not I Hermia? Are not you Lysander? I am as fair now, as I was erewhile. Since night, you lov'd me; yet, since night you left me: Why, then you left me,-O, the gods forbid!In carnest shall I say? Lys. Ay, by my life; And never did desire to see thee more. Her. O me! you juggler! you canker-blos som!* [night You thief of love! what, have you come by And stol'n my love's heart from him? Hel. Fine, i'faith! Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, Her. Puppet! why so? Ay, that way goes the game. Now I perceive that she hath made compare And are you grown so high in his esteem, Let her not hurt me: I was never curst ;t Her. Lower! hark, again. [me. [you; Hel. Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with I evermore did love you, Hermia, Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd Save, that, in love unto Demetrius, I told him of your stealth unto this wood: He follow'd you; for love I follow'd him. But he hath chid me hence; and threaten'd me To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too: A worm that preys on buds of flowers. + Shrewish or mischevious. And now, so you will let me quiet go, Hel. A foolish heart, that I leave here behind? Lys. Be not afraid : she shall not harm thee, Dem. No, Sir; she shall not, though you take Hel. O, when she's angry, she is keen and She was a vixen, when she went to school; Why will you suffer her to flout me thus? Lys. Get you gone, you dwarf; With league, whose date till death shall never Whiles I in this affair do thee employ, Puck. My fairy lord, this must be done with haste; [fast, Obe. But we are spirits of another sort: You minimus, of hind'ring knot grasst made; And, like a forester, the groves may tread, You bead, you acorn. Dem. You are too officious, In her behalf that scorns your services. Let her alone; speak not of Helena; Take not her part: for if thou dost intend Lys. Now she holds me not; Now follow, if thou dar'st, to try whose right, [you: Hel. I will not trust you, I; say. tak'st, Or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully. Did not you tell me, I should know the man And so far am I glad it so did sort,§ As this their jangling I esteem a sport. Even till the eastern gate, all fiery red, [Exit OBERON. Here comes one. Puck. Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars; Telling the bushes that thou looks for wars, And wilt not come? Come, recreant; come, thou child; Obe. Thou seest, these lovers seek a place to I'll whip thee with a rod: He is defil'd, fight: Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night; The starry welkin cover thou anon That draws a sword on thee. Puck. Follow my voice; we'll try no manhood Re-enter LYSANDER. Lys. He goes before me, and still dares me on; When I come where he calls, then he is gone. The villain is much lighter heel'd than I: That fallen am I in dark uneven way, I follow'd fast, but faster he did fly; And here will rest me. Come, thou gentle day! [Lies down. For if but once thou show me thy gray light, I'll find Demetrius, and revenge this spite. [Sleeps. Re-enter PUCK and DEMETRIUS. Puck. Ho, ho ho, ho! Coward, why com'st thon not? * Cephalus, the paramour of Aurora. |